The toughest job in Hollywood is staying the toughest guy in Hollywood.

Unlike a dramatic actor, who only has to be serious, and a comedic actor, who only has to be funny, a tough guy has to be tough, and that isn't easy.

British actor Jason Statham, recently anointed the "Toughest Guy in Hollywood" by a national magazine, has earned the title in such films as "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, "Snatch," "The Transporter," "Crank," "The Italian Job," "The Bank Job" and "The Expendables." He no doubt will hold on to the crown Friday when his new movie opens.

In "The Mechanic," a remake of the 1972 film starring legendary tough guy Charles Bronson, the 38-year-old Statham plays a hit man who takes on an apprentice (Ben Foster of "3:10 to Yuma" fame).

Statham, who also lends his voice to the 3D animated film "Gnomeo & Juliet," which opens Feb. 11, is pretty much the opposite of what you might expect from a tough-guy actor. Although he seems as if he could handle himself in a dark alley (he is a former competitive diver on the British national team, and there are rumors of martial arts training), he is friendly, open and good-humored.

Relaxing in his Beverly Hills hotel suite, he talked about playing tough guys in movies, and what it takes to stay a tough guy in movies.

He discussed his controversial past, when he fast-talked people out of their money by selling cheap watches on London street corners, and explained why he still does his own stunts.

ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: You are reprising the role originally played by the ultimate tough guy. Do you think that Charles Bronson would ever have done a voice-over in an animated Disney film, or are you just a pale imitation of Bronson?

JASON STATHAM (laughs): Hey, at least I play a tough gnome.

Q. Are you a Bronson fan?

A. Oh yeah. My favorite movie of his is "Hard Times." I love that movie. His relationship with James Coburn was great.

Q. Do you ever think about your place in that Hollywood tough-guy legacy?

A. It's nice to be put in the same sentence as those guys, but that is an overly generous compliment. Those guys have made so many great movies, and I've been acting only 11 years, so there is a long way to go.

Q. I wasn't trying to put you on the spot, but you're the new guy. You're the one who has inherited that mantle. That's what it said on the cover of Men's Journal.

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